Our First Date?
by Fox McCloude
Summary: One and a half month after they became a couple, Ash and Misty have yet to have their first real date together. Today, both are planning to correct that, taking advantage of an ongoing festival in the Cerulean plaza. Written for Day 4 of the PokéShipping Week 2019, alternate theme: "First Date".


**Our First Date?**

**By Fox McCloude.**

**Disclaimer: **Pokémon and all related characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo and GAMEFREAK. All rights reserved.

* * *

_**Kanto region, Cerulean City...**_

Ash Ketchum had done many things in his life. He'd traveled across many regions, caught many Pokémon, took part in many Pokémon Leagues and varied competitions, and even sometimes saved the world. And managing to pull through all of that despite the pressure, there were few things that could make his hair stand.

Like for example, his first date ever.

"Did I come too early? She said in ten o'clock. There's still fifteen minutes left so… but they say it's better to show up earlier. Should I have brought flowers and chocolates? Maybe I should have-ACK!"

Right when he was about to turn into a bunch of nerves, Pikachu gave him a little jolt. All the tension left in a moment, and he couldn't but exhale in relief once he was done.

"Thanks, I needed that."

"Pikapi, Pikachu," his partner replied.

Pikachu's jolt helped him get his thoughts in order, if only a little. He shouldn't be nervous. He wouldn't die over having a date, even if it was the first time he had one. Or at least, the first time he had a date with a girl he legitimately called his girlfriend.

But Misty was not just any girl. She'd always been special to him, as a friend, a traveling companion and even rival sometimes. And now his girlfriend, after that declaration of love and that kiss they gave each other while sailing on Lapras, during a sunset in open sea. Even though due to circumstances out of their control, the two had been too busy, and one month and a half later they hadn't even gone in their first date.

That was going to change today, obviously. That's what he came here for, after all.

"Guess who?" a voice called out from behind, while an unmistakable pair of hands covered his eyes. "Did I make you wait long?"

"No, I've just arrived," he replied turned around. Then, he allowed himself to behold the picture in front of him.

Misty had always been far from unattractive, but whenever she decided to clean up and wear more feminine clothing, she'd always look gorgeous. Today wasn't the exception: she wore a spring yellow dress, a sunhat and matching high-heeled shoes. A simple getup, yet it looked really beautiful on her, Ash thought.

"Nervous?" she asked, clearly noticing his demeanor.

"Not at all," he said, trying to shrug it off. "Well… maybe just a little bit. I mean, I'm not sure what I'm I supposed to do, since I've never had a real date, so…"

"Hey, hey," she stopped him. "It's okay. Just because we're now a couple you don't need to act different to please me. Just keep being yourself, and try to have a good time, alright?"

"Alright," Ash replied, a bit more at ease now. "Ah, before I forget."

He held her softly by the chin, before giving her a small kiss on the lops. A simple gesture, some might say, but it was a subtle way to reaffirm how they weren't just the best of friends. And he liked doing it.

"How sweet," she said, slightly blushing once they separated. "Well, are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ash said. "Will you finally tell me what we're going to do?"

"Don't get scared. Nothing we haven't done before: first we'll go eat something, then we'll go to the park for a summer festival. There will be games and events of all kinds to have fun."

"That sounds good," he admitted. "Anything else?"

"After that… there's a special place I'd like to visit with you. But that's reserved for the end of the date," Misty concluded.

"Okay, you lead the way." The trainer offered her an arm. "Shall we go then?"

With a big smile, Misty held onto the arm she was offered and both began walking together. Ash admitted he felt a bit weird at walking that way, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. They had walked holding hands many times, and he never found that unpleasant.

Holding each other's arm seemed the next logical step, since now they were a dating couple.

…

The start of the date was relatively normal. It didn't take long before they picked a place to eat: a relatively modest cafeteria Ash recalled having visited before. Even for all times' sake, at the time for dessert they decided to compete over which of the two was able to eat their ice-cream faster, and Misty won when Ash felt his brain freezing, giving her the window to finish. Outside of that, they both enjoyed it greatly, and once they were stuffed, they headed for the park for the festival.

Just as Misty said, the place was packed with stands full of souvenirs for sale, or games for the visitors, and there were many people around, from other dating couples like them to families with small children.

"Wow, this festival seems rather popular," Ash commented.

"It has a bit of everything, for everyone," Misty replied. "Where shall we go first? Hey, look at that!"

Misty pointed at a stand where a woman with a top hat and cane showed several water guns, and on the other side of the wall there were Pokémon faces with their mouths open. Under them there were balloons completely flat and deflated.

"Come on over, come on over! Splash the water and see if you can burst the balloons in less than a minute! If you can, you'll win fabulous prizes!"

"Hey, that sounds fun. Let's try." Misty dragged him to the aforementioned stand.

After paying the fee, Ash and Misty grabbed each a water gun, and as soon as they got their cue, both started shooting. They had only one minute to fill and pop the balloons, but they soon realized the guns had limited water pressure, and if they kept firing constantly they'd take longer to recharge before being able to fire again.

And thus, they ran out of time and they couldn't burst them.

"What a shame, you were close!" the owner said. "Want to try again?"

"Hmm… I don't know…" Misty remained thoughtful. "Can we use a Pokémon instead of these?"

"Use a Pokémon?" The owner arched an eyebrow. "Well, I don't see why not. Just try not to flood the stand too much, okay?"

"Say, wanna compete over who can burst their balloon faster?" Misty proposed, pulling out a Pokéball from her bag.

"Hah, you're on!" Ash quickly followed suit.

Both Pokéballs burst open, letting out Staryu and Squirtle respectively. Once they paid the owner for the second try, both placed themselves in front of their respective targets, ready for their cue.

"Ready… aim… WATER!"

At their trainers' signal, Squirtle fired a single concentrated stream at his target, while Staryu fired three simultaneous ones, which gave her an ample advantage. Upon going through the thirty second barrier, Staryu's balloon was more pumped than Squirtle's, and it looked like it'd burst first.

Misty however glanced sideways at Ash, and noticed how the Pallet trainer didn't seem worried about that. Most likely because he and Squirtle were up to something.

"Now, Squirtle, increase the water pressure!" he called.

"Squirt!"

Right then, the turtle fired his stream much faster and more accurate. Even though Staryu pumped more water with three streams at the time, Squirtle managed to do it faster by focusing it into a smaller zone, and quickly Misty's advantage was reverted.

When they had only fifteen seconds left, Squirtle's balloon finally burst, and Staryu's followed about five seconds later. The winner was clear.

"Haha! How's that?" Ash celebrated. "Nobody has a better Water Gun than my Squirtle!"

"Showoff." Misty playfully elbowed him. "But you beat me, I give you that. You need to show us that trick sometime."

"Gladly," he replied. "But now… I think we won some prizes here?"

The owner smiled, and showed them the prizes they could claim. There were plush dolls, collectible figurines of Pokémon and famous trainers, among other things. Misty picked a small statuette of Lorelei, while Ash chose a utility belt with many pockets to store different things. It surely would become handy for future journeys.

The next stop was a stand with several strength-testing games. There was the classic bell-and-hammer, another about lifting a huge weight with cables and pulleys, and lastly, a machine with a large cushion to gauge punching strength. This one offered no prizes; it was just for those who wanted to show off and impress someone.

"Betcha I can get a higher number than you in this one," Misty pointed at the last one.

"Is that a challenge?" Ash asked. "I've been working out hard to avoid falling behind you."

"Yeah, I've noticed," Misty gave some appreciative taps on Ash's biceps. "How about this: if I win, you'll have to carry me over your shoulders the rest of the walk across this street."

"And if _I _win?" the brunet asked.

"Well… I can let you carry me bridal style, how's that sound?"

Ash snorted as her rolled his eyes. How was he supposed to win that way? They ultimately settled for gambling some money, and Ash stood in front of the punch-gauging machine. A guy who tried before him got 137 strength points with his punch. He took a deep breath and focused.

"How do you like THIS!" he shouted, punching the cushion with all the might he could muster.

The numbers in the meter blinked for a few moments like a digital slot machine, stopping in 221 points. A rather impressive score, and even more considering his predecessor looked quite bigger and burlier. Ash scratched his nose with some pride and stepped back so Misty could have some room.

"Try and top that."

The redhead smiled, standing before the machine. For a moment, he started breathing deeply, and doing martial-arts-like poses, Kung Fu, Tai Chi or whatever it was called. Ash didn't get why she was being so theatrical, until…

"Hey, why are you removing your shoes?" he asked.

"There's no rule saying you _can't _kick, is there?"

"Wait a minute!"

"Hyaaahh!"

But before Ash could stop her, Misty jumped and delivered a spinning kick, landing her foot sole on the machine's cushion. The numbers started spinning frenetically, until they stopped on 498 points.

"Hey, that was…"

"Perfectly legal. There's no rule saying that it has to be by punching, right?" Misty asked the owner.

"Well… no, I guess not."

"There you have it," she said with satisfaction, before extending her hand. "Now pay up."

Ash wanted to protest, but the girl beat him with the facts, and he grudgingly pulled the bills out of his pocket to pay up. He then decided he'd have to get his revenge in another game to recover his money.

'_Then again, we're on a date. It's not like it matters too much who of us carries the money, right?',_ he thought.

Even though Ash at first said he didn't mind if he paid everything, Misty argued that it wasn't right for her to take advantage of that. In a date, both of them were supposed to have a good time, not just one at the expense of the other's pocket. Besides, they could do a lot more together.

The two continued to enjoy virtually every stand until they managed to go around the whole plaza. By the time they reached the end, they had to buy a bag each to carry all the merchandise they were taking as souvenirs.

After about four or five hours, all they had left was one more stand to visit. It was full of water tanks, inside of which there was a lot of Luvdisc swimming. The game seemed about trying to scoop them out with a paper net before it broke off, and they could take them if they managed to catch them.

Misty had no interest in that because she had her own Luvdisc, though at the time she couldn't help but glance at the two kids, maybe no older than eight or nine, who were trying to catch some. Key word being _trying_, as they didn't seem to do very well.

"Aw, no, it broke again!" the boy said, pulling the already useless net out of the water.

"Giving up already? I pity you," the girl said, folding her arms.

"Hey, this isn't that easy! If you want it so bad, why don't you try it yourself?"

"You offered to catch one for me! You said it'd be easy!"

"Fine, I was wrong!"

As the two kids continued to argue among each other, Ash and Misty glanced at each other. There was no need to say a word, as the redhead decided to do something to solve that little problem.

"Excuse me." She kneeled to get on their visual level, making them stop their argument. "You guys want to know how to fish a Luvdisc?"

"Yeah, but I'm out of money. It's too hard."

"Not if you know how to do it." Misty smiled, before standing up and approaching the woman running the stand. "Can I try?"

Pulling out some money from her bag, she paid the owner and grabbed a net. However, rather than dropping it into the tank in a rush, she kept an eye on the Luvdisc's movements, trying to predict where they would swim.

"The secret it… keep your eye on the one you want to catch, and pull the net out before it breaks," Misty explained, raising the net once she locked onto the target.

Once she was set on the one she wanted to catch, Misty quickly lowered the net into the water to pull the Luvdisc out. But then something unexpected happen: right when she made her move, the little fish went on to kiss another, and as soon as Misty got it, she scooped them both out of the water.

Both of them landed softly in Misty's hands, who presented them at the kids with a big smile.

"Wow!" the boy said with amazement. "Thanks a lot, miss!"

"You're welcome. Take good care of them, okay?"

Both kids ran off cheerily with their new little hearts, and Misty went back to Ash, who also had a big smile in his face.

"Wow, I didn't know you could fish two of them at once," he said.

"I didn't mean to," Misty admitted. "I just tried to scoop one, the other got in the way by luck."

"Had you done it before," the Pallet trainer asked.

"Learn how to scoop them, yeah. This is the first time I scoop two at once. But much better for me, and for those kids."

Ash nodded in agreement. Even if they were on a date to have a good time together, he liked that Misty took some time to perform a good deed for those kids. He had a bit of a complex of helping people with their problems, whatever they might be, and his traveling companions would pick it up the habit themselves.

"So, I guess we've already gone through the whole festival," Ash said. "Where are we going now? Are you gonna tell me about that special place of yours yet?"

"Why just tell you about it?" The girl smiled. "Come on, I'll show you, you're gonna like it when…"

"Aha! Here you are, I finally found ya!"

The screaming voice caused the couple to halt their steps, when suddenly a burly figure stood in front of them, blocking their path. Both Ash and Misty had to look up to see his face, since even though they were fairly tall themselves, the guy in front of them had a build comparable to that of Lt. Surge. He wore a yellow ragged shirt exposing his abs, and a leather jacket with the sleeves torn off, from the elbow on one side and the shoulder on the other, matching pants with a knee exposed and spiked shoulder pads, bracers and anklets. His hair was blond and spiky, with black dyed lightning-shaped streaks upwards.

"Misty Waterflower, it's time for revenge! You're not getting away from me!"

"Uh… Misty, do you know this guy?" Ash asked.

"No, I've never seen him in my life, although…" the redhead squinted her eyes, "something in you seems vaguely familiar."

"Hah, it should!" the guy affirmed. "After all, a couple years ago you humiliated my big brother in your gym, banning him from ever returning! And I've come to make you pay for that!"

"Your brother?" Misty tilted her head. "Wait a moment… yeah, now I remember. An idiot who didn't get the memo that the gym was closed, and almost made me late for a date because he couldn't wait one day. I even forgot his name."

"How dare you?!" the big guy shouted. "How could you forget the name of Xavier Andrews?! Ah, this is not going to stand! I, Magnus Andrews, I challenge you here and now to a Gym battle! And as Gym Leader you can't refuse!"

"It'll have to be another time, Mr. Magnus," Misty said calmly. "In case you didn't notice, today the Gym's closed, and I'm on a date with my boyfriend, so if you were so kind to step aside…"

"Are you running away, cutie?" Magnus asked. "Maybe I need to convince you in another way, or are you afraid of facing me?"

Ash looked sideways at Misty. He could see she was calm, but she bit her lip slightly due to the irritation. Misty was never afraid of a challenger; he knew her way too well for that. But facing her when she was angry… that was practically a tantamount to suicide for any trainer.

Something in him, however, urged him to act, especially when the big guy started to invade his girlfriend's personal space. Only _he _had the right to do that.

"Hey," he stepped up and pushed him back a bit. "Didn't you hear her? She said no, so step aside if you don't want trouble."

"Oh, you threaten me to protect your girlfriend?" Magnus said in a mocking tone. "How romantic, isn't it? If you're trying to pick a fight with me, you've just found it."

"She already told you, we're on a date right now, but if you're looking for a fight…"

"Stop it, you too," Misty said, getting in-between them, pushing them away before they started coming to blows and just when Pikachu gave sparks to back up his trainer. "Look, Magnus, today is my day off and I want to enjoy it in peace, but if you're so determined… can we do it elsewhere? I don't want to make a mess in the festival."

"Hah, that's great for me! You just tell me where, and I'll get my revenge for my brother's humiliation, you'll see!"

Misty remained thoughtful for a bit, and then pointed at the path where she and Ash were about to exit the plaza.

"In half an hour, find us over that path. There's an open grove we can use as an improvised battlefield. But once we'll done, you'll have to promise you won't come back to bother us, whatever the result it might be, alright?"

"Hah, who cares! You set the rules you want, 'cause you're gonna eat my dust, gorgeous!"

Ash almost raised his fist upon hearing the last word. He hated anybody other than himself doing those flattery comments at his girlfriend, even sarcastically. That privilege should be his and only his.

However, Misty noticed and stopped him with her hand. "Half an hour, so I can get ready, okay? That's all we need."

With that, Magnus finally turned around and stepped aside to let them walk. Misty grabbed Ash's arm, both walked away once more, although Ash couldn't help but glance over his shoulder.

"Hey, Misty, are you really going to fight him? He's not worth your time, is he?"

"If I don't he won't leave us alone," Misty said. "The advantage of being outside the gym is that I can be more… flexible about the rules, so I'll make sure to give him a good lesson."

Ash smiled. "I have no doubt. He's gonna regret interrupting us."

It was weird; usually Ash didn't delight in seeing someone getting his ass handed to him. But now, having his first date with Misty interrupted, he was more than willing to watch the show. Magnus would regret crossing path with them.

…

Just as Misty told him, the grove was ample enough to fight. Luckily for them Misty had brought her Pokéballs, and just as Ash expected, the redhead wouldn't pull any punches.

"Prepare yourself, because you're gonna lose!" Magnus declared, before letting out a Pokémon who seemed rather appropriate for his name. "Magneton, destroy them!"

"Magna!" The magnet Pokémon appeared floating above them. Ash glanced at Misty and she nodded at him. Both knew the redhead wouldn't be playing any games.

"It's your turn! Go, my steady… Gyarados!"

The marine serpent appeared, and with a loud roar that shook the leaves of the nearby trees caused both trainer and his Magneton to flinch.

"Gyarados?! ¡Hey, that ain't fair! How can you bring out the big one at once?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry? You were so insistent that I assumed you could handle my strongest team," Misty said. "Did you mention how many badges you have?"

Magnus wanted to protest something, but kept quiet. In his hurry he evidently forgot that small detail, and since they were outside the gym, the redhead just took the liberty to "assume" he was. Tough luck for him.

"Gyarados versus Magneton! Start now!" Ash declared.

"Let's show them what we're made of! Magneton, Zap Cannon!"

"Gyarados, Fire Blast!"

The two called their orders almost at the same time. Magneton materialized an electric energy sphere between his three eyes, while Gyarados concentrated a large fire kanji between his jaws. Unfortunately for Magneton, Gyarados charged up his attack much faster, and the fire explosion hit dead on, doing super effective damage and leaving his foe in the middle of a large scorched land mark on the ground.

"Eh? What the hell?"

"Magneton is unable to battle!" Ash declared with satisfaction.

"But what the fuck, we didn't even get to do the first move?!"

"No? If you think it's too much for you, you can still give up," Misty calmly said, with a big smile in her face.

"Grrr… I'll show ya! Raichu, finish 'em!"

The trainer threw his second Pokémon, and the evolved electric mouse appeared on the field, giving off sparks in a threatening manner. Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but let out a small "tch" as they rolled their eyes, but the Pallet Trainer nonetheless gave the cue to start the bout.

"Raichu, use Thunder and take out that Gyarados in a single blow!"

"Rai… CHUUUUUU!"

The evolved mouse tried to drop a lightning bolt over Gyarados from the sky, but the snake coiled and retracted slightly so the bolt would strike the ground without touching him. He instantly rose back up and looked down at his much smaller foe.

"Gyarados, use Crunch," Misty ordered.

With a powerful roar, Gyarados opened wide his jaws and charged to bite at Raichu, who kneeled on his feet to jump over and get out of the way. With the bite Gyarados left a big hole and quickly spat the soil before charging once more. And he repeated the sequence a couple more of times, forcing the evolved mouse into the defensive.

"Volt Tackle!" Magnus shouted. "Don't let him getcha!"

Raichu became engulfed in electric energy and charged in a risky tackle at Gyarados. He landed a hit right on his face, although it barely made him flinch, while Raichu fell backwards and suffered the recoil damage. When Gyarados shook off the sparks, he and Misty quickly countered with a Fire Blast that Raichu dodged, although the blast still shook him enough for them to keep the pressure with the attack.

"Gyarados, catch him with Hurricane!"

With another roar, Gyarados launched a powerful wind current that quickly turned into a giant cyclone. Although Raichu tried to run away, the wind caught him and he was quickly dragged up into the air, completely helpless and unable to get away.

"Raichu!" Magnus shouted.

"Fire Blast!" Misty exclaimed.

Gyarados shot another fire kanji at his foe. The helpless Raichu let out a sharp cry when the blast caught him, and once the smoke cleared he plummeted to the ground, slumping with his body full of burns.

And yet, a few seconds later he got back on his feet, glaring at his foe in defiance.

"Wow, he's tougher than I thought," Misty remarked, with a slight admiration. "Though he's clearly reached his limit!

"You haven't beaten us yet! Raichu, Grass Knot!"

Stomping on the ground, a set of green vines came out, and began wrapping themselves around Gyarados all over his body and holding him against the ground. After a while, the vines surrounded him so thickly, his blue scales were barely visible underneath.

"Now you can't escape!" Magnus exclaimed in triumph. "Raichu, use Thunder and finish him!"

"Gyarados, fire Hydro Pump upwards!"

Despite being restricted by the vines, Gyarados managed to point his face upwards and launch a water stream right when the bolt was about to fall on him, deflecting it in the last second. He then struggled until he managed to break the knots, glaring at his foe with a clear thirst for revenge. And without Misty telling him, he charged with his jaws open for a Crunch attack before Raichu had any strength to move again. After chomping on him a couple times, he spat him at his master's feet, leaving him worse for wear than his predecessor.

"Raichu is unable to battle!" Ash declared with satisfaction, as Misty continued to win without missing a beat. Meanwhile, Magnus seemed even angrier at losing two Pokémon in a row.

"Well, do you want to keep going," Misty said. "Because Gyarados and I still have plenty of juice."

"Grr… don't celebrate just yet. Golem, you're up!" the challenger yelled.

Much to the surprise of Ash and Misty, the Golem that showed up wasn't the traditional one from Kanto, but its Alolan variant, with the large black moustache, beard and plates over his head. And as both knew, it was a Rock/Electric-type. It soon became evident that Magnus had picked a full tram with the intent to beat a Water-type specialist at any cost.

For all the good the type advantage was doing for him, at any rate.

"Golem, charge with Rollout!"

Golem retracted his limbs and began rolling fast at Gyarados. The snake swiveled out of the way but Golem turned around to hit him from behind. But thanks to his flexibility, and despite being a huge target, he dodged the charge, as well as the second and third tries.

Nevertheless, Golem came in rolling faster every time, and upon noticing it, Misty realized she needed another tactic. When they came for the fifth strike, she knew what she had to do.

"Gyarados, use Hydro Pump and dig a trench!"

Gyarados fired a water stream to open a hole right where Golem was about to roll over, and the result was that the living steamroller he turned into shot upwards through the air. The shock caused it to uncurl for a moment, right when he was face to face with the marine serpent, who caught him between his jaws. He barely got time to pull his arms and legs to prevent him from being crushed.

Looking through the corner of her eye, Misty saw Ash giving an approving look. It was no surprise: he invented that maneuver in the first place, to deal with a rolling opponent.

"Golem, take the chance and shock him with Thunder!" Magnus shouted.

Somehow and with difficulty, Golem managed to summon a lightning bolt over Gyarados, without him being able to stop if. Despite everything, including the double type advantage, the serpent endured it and didn't stop applying pressure with his jaws, and once the electric attack ceased, they saw some cracks on the rock skin.

"But what the heck do you feed that Gyarados, how can he endure Electric attacks like that?!" Magnus asked.

"You think I'd sleep in my laurels so easily?" Misty quipped. "I know very well my Pokémon's weaknesses, and that's why I work hard to surpass them. You'll need more than that to defeat us. Gyarados, let go of him and give him a Fire Blast!"

Finally, Gyarados released Golem and shot a giant fire explosion at him. Just like with Magneton, the blast left a huge scorching mark on the ground, and although he fought to get back on his feet, the burn effect caused him to crumble, just like the previous two.

"Golem is unable to battle!" Ash declared, with increased gusto after his girlfriend's third victory in a row.

"No… this is can't be! How… how can they…?! This shouldn't be happening!"

"Why not? You thought that because I'm a Water-type specialist, all you need to beat me is electricity? No, no." Misty wagged her finger in denial. "You can't be a Gym Leader by being a one-trick Ponyta. Now, bring out your next Pokémon, if you want to keep going."

Magnus groaned something unintelligible, and seemed to hesitate before getting his next Pokéball. For a moment both Ash and Misty felt tempted to tell her he should hurry to keep the match going. Finally, after what looked like a long deliberation with himself, he threw his fourth Pokéball.

"Electrode!" And its occupant turned out to be a rather obvious choice, just like the previous ones.

"Gee, is that all you've got?" Misty said, shaking her head.

"Use Screech!" Magnus shouted, ignoring Misty's comment and without waiting for Ash to give them the cue to restart the battle.

The electric ball began emitting sonic waves all over the place, affecting anybody nearby. Gyarados had to retract himself, while Ash, Misty and Pikachu were forced to cover their ears.

When she opened one eye, Misty saw Magnus didn't even faze at the noise. Was he used to it?

"Gyarados, make him stop!" Misty yelled out loud, hoping that he would hear. "Crunch!"

Somehow, Gyarados heard the command, and enduring the shrieking noise, he charged at Electrode with his jaws wide open. Unlike Golem, neither he nor his trainer did anything to stop if, leaving Gyarados to sink his fangs on his body.

"YOU FELL FOR IT!" Magnus cried out, much to Ash and Misty's shock. "EXPLOSION!"

The challenger's command made everyone pale. For a moment they thought he'd gone insane, desperate, or maybe both, but indeed, while he was still between Gyarados' jaws, the electric ball began to glow brightly, and a few seconds later, there was a huge explosion that engulfed Gyarados completely. The smoke didn't let them see, but after the noise of a fall, and the subsequent earth shaking, it wasn't hard to deduce what had happened.

Once the smoke was clear, Gyarados was slumped over the field, and Electrode rolled inert, out of his open mouth, with his eyes spinning and still giving off sparks.

"Hahaha! At long last! That damned serpent went down!" Magnus laughed like a madman, seemingly very satisfied with himself.

Misty and Ash were left with their jaws open, evidently surprised for what just happened. Not just because of the unexpected, but also because it clearly had been a desperate move… and a cheap one at that, no matter how you looked at it.

Again, it wasn't like it was of much help. Sure, Gyarados had been knocked out, but so had been Electrode, leaving Magnus with only two Pokémon while Misty still had five active ones. The advantage was overwhelming.

"Good for you, you took out my Gyarados," Misty said. "But you still have to beat the rest of my team."

"Hah, you can't have anything worse than that!" Magnus said with a deranged expression. "Come on, give me everything you've got! Go, Ivysaur!"

As soon as the Grass-type starter showed up on the field, Misty arched an eyebrow slightly. So he did have something other than Electric-types after all. Well, she had something to deal with Grass-types too.

"Let's see how you like this. Go…!"

But before she threw the next ball, one of the others inside her bag opened itself, and a certain yellow duck showed up, much to everyone's surprise (or not).

"Psyduck," he announced holding his head.

"A Psyduck? A PSYDUCK? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT A LAUGH, AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'VE GOT THIS ONE IN THE BAG!"

While Magnus was too occupied laughing out loud, Ash and Misty glanced at each other, as if wondering what they'd do about it. Once upon a time, Misty would have gotten angry over Psyduck's intromission, but now… it came to her head how to make good use of it.

After all, she knew better than anybody what the duck was capable of. Especially when they underestimated him, like now.

"Alright, Psyduck, let's show him. You know what to do."

"Psy… duck?" The duck seemed doubtful but nodded. Well, she knew what she was saying.

"Let's end that rubber ducky!" Magnus said. "Power Whip!"

Ivysaur obliged instantly, stretching his whips while they glowed pink. Psyduck didn't even move from his spot, simply standing curled up while he covered his face while the lashes on his head began.

Just as Misty wanted.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you defending yourselves?"

"We're just waiting," Misty said, folding her arms and knowing what was about to happen.

"Waiting for what?" Magnus asked.

And the answer came when Psyduck brusquely opened his eyes, which glowed with a radiant blue light, and it quickly spread around him before going to Ivysaur, who was left with his mouth wide open, and the vines outstretched and twisted, but without smacking anymore.

"That." Misty then snapped her fingers. "Psyduck, use Confusion."

Psyduck opened his arms, raising Ivysaur from the ground. Next, he started waving his arms around, and the Grass-type Pokémon began smacking himself in the face, the back and any other place where the vines could reach. After that, Psyduck began making arc-like movements to slam him against the ground, once, twice, thrice, before leaving him floating in the air.

Misty took a moment to admire the expression of shock and terror in Magnus' face, before nodding her head for Psyduck to deliver the final touch.

"Wrap him up."

Ivysaur's whips began waving around violently again, but instead of smacking him around, he had them twirl around him, tying him in various knots that could put the best boy scouts green with envy. Once he was done, he threw him as if gift-wrapped at Magnus' feet, who kneeled down to pick him up.

"Ivysaur… how could…?"

"Ivysaur is unable to battle!" Ash declared. "Now, bring out your last Pokémon so we can get this over with!"

Magnus didn't move from his spot. He didn't even try to return Ivysaur to his Pokéball, neither did he said a single word.

"What are you waiting for?" Ash insisted. "Are you going to bring out your last Pokémon o what?"

"Hey, redhead," Magnus said, glancing at Misty while ignoring Ash. "Your other Pokémon… are they like that Psyduck? Or that Gyarados?"

"Like them?" Misty asked. "If you mean just as capable, obviously they are. But what does…?"

"Enough," Magnus said, standing up and recalling his Ivysaur. "I'm done here. I quit, I give up, I retreat, or whatever you wanna call it. I don't wanna fight anymore."

"You're giving up?" Misty raised an eyebrow, but she didn't actually sound surprised. Ash was the same.

"What's the point in fighting if I'm gonna lose?" Magnus declared frenetically. "No kidding, I'll never come back to this city. Let alone to challenge you or your gym. I'm outta here."

And saying those words, he turned on his feet and ran off as fast as he could. He seemed to be trying to hide his crybaby tantrum or something like that, to keep the little amount of dignity he still had.

As he ran away, Ash approached Misty, who picked Psyduck in her arms once he stopped emitting psychic energies, and the two were left glancing at the path until Magnus vanished from sight.

"What a guy. Not even the courtesy to end the battle," Ash quipped.

"Well, at least he won't bother us anymore," Misty said with a big smile, and scratching the three hairs on Psyduck's head. "And you, excellent work, I'm so proud of you."

"Psyduck," the duck said.

"Anyway, since the idiot is finally gone… do you think we can continue where we left off?"

"Of course," Misty said, returning Psyduck to his ball. "We're not far from there anyway, follow me."

…

Once they got rid of that annoyance, the couple finally could go to that special spot Misty wanted to show him. Ash was still curious as to what could be so special about it, but he'd find out soon enough.

"Are we there yet?" he asked, while crossing a path with many thick bushes.

"Almost," Misty said. "Not many people come here, so nobody will annoy us."

The two continued to make their way through the bushes, until they reached their destination. The place turned out to be a small open field by the edge of a cliff, and it had an amazing view towards Kanto's northern sea.

"Wow…" Ash said. "This is a great view."

"Pika…" Pikachu nodded.

"Welcome to my special spot, Cerulean Cape," Misty said. "I like to come here when I need to relax and have time to think. Although… this is the first time I bring somebody else."

Ash stared deeply into Misty's aquamarine eyes. No doubt, this was a really beautiful place, the kind one would like to keep to oneself for privacy, he'd probably done the same in her stead. But that also meant she didn't even bring her former boyfriend here before, which said a lot that now she brought _him _now.

"So… what do we do now?" Ash asked.

"We can sit and chat, relax… or just enjoy the view." Misty held his hand. "I don't care, as long as we do it together."

The black-haired young man stared at his girlfriend again, as she continued to smile at him. He always had been the traveling type, being constantly active and on the move… but since they started dating, a part of him wanted to take things easier, to enjoy himself and his new life.

Or specifically, to enjoy those moments he shared with her.

"Enjoying the view sounds good to me," Ash approached the cliff's edge for a better view. The sun was starting to go down, making a beautiful reflection on the water.

"If you say so." Misty then sat next to him and leaned over his shoulder.

Ash out of inertia rested his head on Misty's, idly raising a hand to stroke her hair. Meanwhile, Pikachu sat on his lap, and Ash used his other hand to scruff his fur. It was relaxing to be there, contemplating the view with them.

"Hey Misty," he finally said after a while being silent.

"Hmm?"

"… Thanks. Thanks for bringing me here. This is a very special place for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah it is." She nodded. "I thought this could be the best way to end our first date."

"About that… how did I do? I never had a real date in my life before, so…"

"Oh, hush…" The redhead softly placed her finger on his lips. "You don't have to make any excuses. Everything was well. In fact… it was perfect."

"Really? Wow, truth is… had I known before it was so easy, I'd have done this long ago."

"Well, we can make up for the lost time," she added before giving him a big kiss.

The couple remained that way for a bit, before separating to contemplate the view once more. As he looked into the sunshine reflected over the water, Ash allowed himself to get lost in the memories for a bit.

He'd shared many special memories with Misty before, but this was the first since they gave each other their first kiss as a couple. And he'd treasure it for the rest of his life. His only regret was not having taken that step years before, which would have saved them both many a heartache.

'_But we're together now, that's all what matters,'_ he told himself. And so it was. There was no point in regretting what he didn't do before. What really mattered was to stick together, in good and bad times.

Misty was right, that place was great for relaxing. In fact, he felt like there was something in the air, something making him want to lie down and take a little nap.

Until he realized something… a certain melody was in the air, and it sounder rather familiar.

"Hey, Misty… do you hear that? Sounds like someone singing," Ash asked. Right then, Pikachu perked up his ears too.

"Huh, you're right." Suddenly, the girl's expression shifted when the melody came closer. "Wait… that sounds like…"

The couple turned around, and they saw Pokémon falling off the nearby trees, all of them fast asleep at the music they were hearing. It was soft, relaxing, and with a rather soporific effect.

No… it couldn't be…

"Puff! Jigglypuff!"

"Oh no, don't tell me that's…?"

"Yeah, it definitely is," Ash replied. There was no mistaking that little pink furball with the small microphone in hand. "Thought it stayed in Alola!"

"It doesn't matter; we have to run!" Misty jumped up to her feet immediately.

She didn't have to tell him twice; Ash jumped back to his feet too and Pikachu jumped off his lap. Ash then grabbed Misty's wrist and quickly took to run away as fast as he could to get out of there.

Unfortunately, even though they managed to run past Jigglypuff, their feet weren't as fast as the speed of sound, or the singing, in this case.

"Jii-guh-lee-puff, jii-guh-lee-ee-ee-puff…"

"Hurry, we can't…!" Ash felt his eyelids growing heavy, and his legs start to give in and stop running, falling to his knees.

"Hold on, Ash, we're almost…!" Misty tried to say something else, but looking at her sideways, he saw she was starting to succumb herself.

"Pikapi, Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried out from ahead, and then turned around seeing how they were falling behind, and tried to double back for them.

Although Ash tried to fight back the sleep, he finally couldn't. The last thing he caught before his eyelids shut was Pikachu frenetically running at them, and through the corner of his eye, Misty seemed to have found a comfy pillow on his shoulder.

Would she be annoyed if he did the same with hers? There was no fighting the inevitable.

…

A second later, or that seemed to Ash, a little electric jolt startled him awake.

"What, who, where, when…?"

After blinking a couple times and opening his eyes, he saw Pikachu in front of him, with wavy lines across his mouth, and a pair of X-marks painted on his eyes. He also noticed how the sky above them had gone completely dark. He then searched frenetically in his pocket to find something to check the time, until he found his phone.

"Geez, how long were we asleep? Hey, Misty, open your eyes," he said as he poked the redhead's cheeks to wake her up.

"Hmm… what? What's up…?" Misty blinked. "What time is it?"

"Almost eight at night, look," Ash showed her the cellphone's clock.

"Wow, that late?" Misty asked, and then started laughing. "Really, why did we have to teach Jigglypuff how to sing."

Ash then glanced at the marks Jigglypuff left on Misty's face: a pair of thick eyebrows and eyelashes, and a heart pierced by an arrow on her left cheek. It strangely had a head, but not a tail. And he couldn't help but snicker.

"What's the matter?" Misty pouted slightly.

"Nothing, just… the marks Jigglypuff left on you," he said with sincerity.

"Oh yeah? Have you seen yours?" she asked.

With curiosity, the boy grabbed his holographic phone, pressing the button to activate the external camera and take a selfie. When he projected the image over the holographic screen, he was in for a big surprise: Jigglypuff had painted a black eye with a line that looked like a pirate's eyepatch, and on the right cheek he had a heart identical to Misty's… except that it had the arrow's tail.

And when Misty approached, he realized both marks matched perfectly with each other with their cheeks together. The couple couldn't help but laugh at it.

"We should keep this photo as a souvenir, don't you think?" Misty suggested.

"Just for us, though," Ash then stood up. "We better go back to the gym to clean our faces."

Misty nodded in agreement. After verifying they weren't missing any of their belongings, the couple was ready to leave the place. It was fortunate that not many people came around here, as they didn't imagine what could have happened should somebody found them there, with their faces doodled.

However, before leaving, Misty stopped for a bit to glance at the sea, and Ash took a while to realize what she was seeing.

There was a full moon that night, and it shone beautifully over the sky. Besides, it made quite a light show over the water's waves, surely not many would have seen it before.

"Wow," Misty said. "I'd never seen the night view here before."

"We might be the first," Ash added. "Maybe… we could stick a few minutes to appreciate it? Jigglypuff must be long gone."

"I don't see why not." Misty glanced at the Pokémon that fell from the trees, still asleep and with various doodles in their faces.

The two sat on the ground again to gaze at the moon. Something good came out of Jigglypuff showing up. It gave them a rather nice end to their first date by offering them that beautiful and romantic view, even without meaning to.

* * *

_**Cerulean Gym, an hour later…**_

For a rather annoying interlude, the end of the day was just perfect, barring obviously the marks Jigglypuff left on their faces.

Although Ash planned to return home once they finished the date, now it was too late, and Misty convinced him to stay at the gym for the night. Not that he objected in any way, but in any case, he felt obliged to let Delia know.

"Some things happened and… well, I think the date ended up longer than expected," he explained through the videophone.

"No need to say anything, honey," Delia said. "Besides, if Misty invited you to stay the night, it wouldn't be nice to reject her kind offer."

"You sure you'll be fine?" Ash asked with some concern. "Won't you feel a little lonely over there? I can go back tomorrow if…"

"Ash," the woman softly interrupted. "You don't have to worry about me. It's true, sometimes I feel kind of lonely when you're not around. But you're not a child anymore; you have the right to spend some quality time with your girlfriend. You both deserve to make fond memories together, and make them only yours."

Ash smiled at his mom. Delia could have her occasional quirk, but she always looked out for his happiness, and he was deeply grateful at her for it. Having her supporting his relationship with Misty meant a lot to him.

"So, you don't mind me staying the night here with Misty?" he asked.

"As long as you don't inconvenience her, you can stay all the nights you want there," the woman replied. "Just let me give you a few pieces of advice, okay?"

"Sure, as you say," Ash replied a bit confused. Was Delia worried about something.

"If you're spending the night together, be careful. And if you're not careful, be safe. And if you can't be safe…" Suddenly the woman smiled in a rather mischievous way. "Well, I don't have objections about being a granny before I reach my forties."

"What do you mean…?" Suddenly Ash's brain gears got to work, and his face turned red-hot once he understood what Delia meant. "Mom!"

"I'm just saying." She winked at him. "Like I said, you're not a child anymore, whatever you chose to do or not to do, it's your responsibility, but I trust you. Goodnight, sweetie."

And without any further words, Delia was the one who ended the call. Ash was left with the auricular in his hand for a bit before he hung up, after somewhat shaking the embarrassment over his mom's words.

Please, how could she think he wanted to spend the night… doing _that_ with Misty? They were fresh out of their first date; he wasn't in any hurry.

Then again, it wasn't like he _didn't _want to, but… all to its due time.

"There's no need to rush," Ash said in a low voice. "We still haven't gotten there."

"Gotten where?" Misty's voice asked from behind. He got startled and almost knocked Pikachu off of his shoulder.

"Ah, Misty, hi," he waved at her nervously, and saw her tilt her head with curiosity. Did she hear what he was saying?

"Something wrong?" the redhead asked. "Your face is a little red."

"Nothing you should worry about," he assured her. "Just… I was telling Mom I'm staying here tonight, you know, so she doesn't worry."

"Hmm, if you say so," she said. "Anyway, come with me, the guest room is ready."

The girl offered her hand and he gladly accepted it. Now they were a couple, he was glad he didn't need a reason to have those simple gestures, like holding hands and walk together wherever they went, either in public or private.

They stopped in front of a door that Misty opened, turning the lights on upon entering. It was a rather simple room, though it was clean and tidy, and the bed looked rather comfy. It was also big enough to accommodate him and Pikachu.

"Hope you're comfortable," Misty said. "Goodnight."

"Ah, Misty, before you leave," Ash stopped her.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Ash was left speechless. He wanted to say something and suddenly it escaped his mind, and he wasn't sure why. What could he do? He needed to think of something, or remember what he wanted to tell her, whatever it was.

Why did he forget it? Was he just head over heels with her?

"I… I wanted to ask you… do you want to do something else tomorrow?" Ash asked, almost forcing the words when he finally got something.

"Hmm?" Misty tilted her head. "Do you mean, another date?"

"No, no, well… yes, maybe," he finally admitted. "I don't know, maybe going to the movies or something else. If you're not too busy, of course."

She smiled. "That sounds good. I was planning on keeping the gym closed anyway, so we can go to the movies. If you pay the tickets, I'll pay the popcorn."

"It's a deal. Well… goodnight, Misty. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Ash. Sweet dreams."

They then gave each other a brief goodnight kiss, and Ash closed the door. While he went towards the bed and pulled out his pajamas, Ash thought about everything that happened during that day. Not too bad for their first date.

Also, if Misty had no objections in having the second date the next day, why waste the chance? Delia was right, they both deserved to spend quality time together and create beautiful memories together.

**FIN.**

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Oof, would you believe me this was the hardest to write? First, the original theme (Galar/Generation VIII) didn't give me any ideas to write anything, with the scarce info we had (and there's still not much to work with), so I chose to substitute by one of the themes I voted but weren't chosen. And second, because it kept becoming longer the more I wrote, and it was getting hard to finish it (plus I had to translate it into English, go figure). But well, here it is.

Anyway, my theme chosen was "First Date". I took the general idea from one of my old works, particularly the part of going to the Cerulean Cape, although this can't be considered a remake in the literal sense, as I added some things apart from that, and the event sequence was very different. Anyway, I felt like trying it again and see if it worked in a different way. How did it turn out?

And so, Day 4 of the week is covered. For the record, this was the only theme I chose to replace, so the remaining ones will go from the voted ones. See you tomorrow!


End file.
